Jousting & Duel Rules

[morgramen]

Has anyone come ip with a nice system for jousting, Duels and other similar tourney rules?

I am primarily wanting this for PBeM, but any comments on table top systems would be useful since I can adapt it.

[morgramen]

Gadzooks!! I've been moderated! :)

My bad.

[Lawgiver]

Quite a fix you've gotten into... A PBem does have its limitation. I've been pondering this issue though. Here's an idea I've been batting around. Its sort of a point system to calculate a joust/duel rating for a character.

Assuming a hand-to hand combat situation...
Classes:
Fighter +2
Priest or THeif 0
Mage -2

Weapon Prof:
Specialization +1
Mastery +2
High Mastery +3
Grand Mastery +4

+2 for each additional attack per round (not related to weapon specialization levels)

+1 per 2 point of AC (i.e. AC of 0 is +5)

+1 per Exp. Level

+1 per 10 Hit points


If you wanted to throw in Spells:
+1 per priest spell level attained (a 5th level cleric would be +3; since he can cast 3rd level spells)
+3 per mage spell level attained (7th level wizard would be +12; since he can cast 4th level spells)

add the totals and see who wins... maybe throw in a 1d20 for kicks to allow for chance rather than stats only. I don't know how well that would work in practice. Just my first stab at an idea.

[Yak]

Just roll it out, by the time you come up with a system and do all the adding and such, you could have made the small amount of rolls needed.

[Lawgiver]

teh problem my bovine freind is in a PBeM players can't roll their own dice and feel cheated when they suddenly find they lost a duel in which someone else rolled all of their attacks, parries, etc.

Though I don't know of a good system to use other than some random chance. If you base it on statistics your PCs will focus on semantics not ideas.

[Yak]

Players always feel cheated when they loose, what your point?

[Yak]

One more thing... players can roll their dice online...
http://www.irony.com/ is a good place to do it.

[Arch-Sorcerer Gargamel]

But, like a computer game, in a Pbem, the DM(s) need to make many rolls at various times that may require more rolls or not. Waiting for correspondance would make the game take entirely too long.

I like the skill based suggestions suggested earlier. Just make it a base 50% chance and use the point differential to weight it in one favor. The only problem is that it doesn't remove the random factor (crybaby players)

Magic should usually be barred from duels/jousts and Magical duels have various rules in books not based on rolls (DM's Option: High Level campaigns if I remember correctly) or even possibly the rules in the Complete Sha'ir's handbook. (or maybe it was oriental adventures)

If I remember correctly, both systems are silly and possibly complicated, but work

[Yak]

True the time taking to get e-mails back is from bad to worse with most players, but if they want to do it the DM can simply set a fair timetable and work from there. The key is not to be afraid of your players.

[Lawgiver]

Orginally posted by Yak
The key is not to be afraid of your players.

No problem there! My players cower in fear at the awesome powers of their mighty DM!!!

Isn't that right Xander...